Small tips to make your day easy
Daily baby care is a natural way that parents can learn about parenting, and babies can learn about being loved and honored.
Every touch and caress between a parent and a baby is a language, a communication system that strengthens the family bonding, and contributes to the physical, mental and emotional growth.
Daily care and grooming are very essential, even for the healthiest babies.
Proper hygiene is necessary and must be complied thoroughly, especially during the first months that the baby’s immune system is still vulnerable.
Bathing
Bathing
Most babies love and enjoy contact with water. Bath time can be a fun and special time between infant and parent. They both relax, and bath time turns into bonding time with education and fun.
• Give your baby a bath, everyday at the same time.
• Fill the tub with only 2 inches of water. Make the bathwater comfortably warm (89-98 F). Don't put your baby into a tub when the water is still running (the water temperature could change, or the water could get too deep).
• Make sure the bathroom is comfortably warm.
• Gather all the supplies (cleanser, towel, clean diaper and clothes, etc.) you'll need ahead of bath time.
• Never leave your baby unsupervised, even for a second.
• Bath time is fun time. You can also try singing, smiling or gently talking to your baby during the bath to help you both relax.
• Wash your baby all over its body and scalp. Pour a small quantity of novalou gentle bathtime or novalou sensi-soothing bathtime into your hands and gently massage onto wet skin and hair. Rinse off thoroughly.
• Give your baby a bath, paying particular attention to the nappy area, palms and soles (between the toes), the folds of skin behind the knees, armpits, ears and around the neck.
• Lift your baby out of the tub with care and wrap it in a cuddle robe or towel. Gently pat your baby dry, paying attention to skin folds.
• Keep electric appliances away from the tub.
Shampooing
Shampooing
Most babies love and enjoy contact with water. Bath time can be a fun and special time between infant and parent. They both relax, and bath time turns into bonding time with education and fun.
• Give your baby a bath, everyday at the same time.
• Fill the tub with only 2 inches of water. Make the bathwater comfortably warm (89-98 F). Don't put your baby into a tub when the water is still running (the water temperature could change, or the water could get too deep).
• Make sure the bathroom is comfortably warm.
• Gather all the supplies (cleanser, towel, clean diaper and clothes, etc.) you'll need ahead of bath time.
• Never leave your baby unsupervised, even for a second.
• Bath time is fun time. You can also try singing, smiling or gently talking to your baby during the bath to help you both relax.
• Wash your baby all over its body and scalp. Pour a small quantity of novalou gentle bathtime or novalou sensi-soothing bathtime into your hands and gently massage onto wet skin and hair. Rinse off thoroughly.
• Give your baby a bath, paying particular attention to the nappy area, palms and soles (between the toes), the folds of skin behind the knees, armpits, ears and around the neck.
• Lift your baby out of the tub with care and wrap it in a cuddle robe or towel. Gently pat your baby dry, paying attention to skin folds.
• Keep electric appliances away from the tub.
Diaper change
Diaper change
Changing of a diaper may seem like a complicated task at first. Don’t worry! It’s not that hard, and in a few weeks, you’ll find that keeping your baby clean and dry is easy.
Topical cleaning and diaper change
• Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly or clean them with hand gel or a baby wipe, if that's easier.
• Gather everything you need together: a clean disposable nappy, mild cleanser or disposable baby wet wipes and a barrier cream to protect your baby's skin.
• Undress your baby, taking his / her nappy off last.
• Gently wash your baby’s genitals and bottom last, using water and novalou gentle bathtime or novalou sensi-soothing bathtime. Wash from front to back and be sure to gently clean between the folds of skin.
• Wrap your baby in the towel and gently pat dry, making sure the diaper area is completely dry to avoid developing diaper rash. Pay attention to skin folds.
• Apply a thin layer of novalou nappy rash cream on baby’s bottom, genital area and the folds of the thighs. The cream should create a nice barrier film to protect the skin from nappy rash.
• Dress your baby, putting the diaper on, making sure that it fits snugly but not too tightly.
• Clean and disinfect the changing area.
• Wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer if you can't get to a sink.
That's it, you're done! Until the next time...
Care and hydration of baby skin
Care and hydration of baby skin
Massage for babies is much different from massage for adults. It is not as much manipulative, as it is communicative. It is a technique that allows parents to engage and relax their child in mutually pleasurable interaction.
• After baby's bath is an ideal time for a massage. His/ her skin is still moist - the perfect time to apply the novalou massage oil, or the novalou body milk or the novalou sensi-soothing body lotion.
• Massage your baby before his/ her bedtime. It is an excellent way to help your baby calm down.
• Wait 45 minutes after meals. Massaging a baby right after he/ she eats can cause him/ her to get an upset stomach.
• Be sure his/ her other needs are met first, so he/ she is comfortable during the massage.
• Make the baby comfortable. Plan to do the massage in a warm room with dim lighting. Put on some soft music if you wish.
• Rub the product between your hands to warm it up before applying it to your baby's body.
• Use gentle rubbing motions. Do not massage the baby using the same force you’d use for an adult. Use soft, circular motions to gently stimulate the baby's skin.
• Massage his/ her chest and tummy. This part of the massage has the most profound calming effect.
• Massage his/ her tummy in a clockwise rubbing motion. This mimics the path of digestion.
• Gently massage each leg, putting light pressure on his/ her thighs. Continue with the arms. Be gentle, especially at the elbow.
• Massage his/ her back by smoothing your hands from the center of his/ her back outward.
• Massage his/ her head and face. Move on to the eyebrows and eyelids, the nose, the cheeks, around the mouth, and then the ears and their surrounding areas.
• Discover your baby’s favorite place he/ she likes to be massaged.
Sun protection
Sun protection
The sunlight that reaches us is made up of two types of harmful rays: ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB).
The classification of skin type (phototype) depends on the amount of melanin pigment in the skin. This is determined by constitutional color (white, brown or black skin) and the result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (tanning).
• Apply the sunscreen to your skin at least 30 minutes before sun exposure.
• Do not get exposed to the sun more than 20 minutes during the first days of exposure.
• Do not get exposed to the sun during the hottest hours (11:00 to 16:00).
• Wear a t-shirt, a hat, sunglasses and use the novalou sunscreen when you are outdoors.
• Radiation is reflected on any surface. Snow, grass, sand and water reflect the UV rays.
• Novalou sunscreen is waterproof; however, its effectiveness is reduced during swimming. Reapply frequently, especially on the skin of children.
• Drink often lots of water; sun dehydrates the body.
• It is important to remember to apply the novalou sunscreen on some sensitive body areas. Don’t forget children’ s neck and ears.
• After sun exposure, apply the novalou baby body milk so as to optimize skin hydration.
*Avoid midday and extensive sun exposure. Keep babies and kids out of direct sunlight. If you have a sun-sensitive skin phototype, always use High Protection sunscreen products.
Nasal hygiene
Nasal Hygiene
A nasal aspirator is a critical tool for new parents. It clears baby’s nostrils and facilitates breathing, sleeping and eating, despite having a cold or struggling with allergies. Decongested babies sleep longer, eat better, and enjoy more play time, which makes parents happy as well!
• Wash hands before use.
• It is strongly recommended to previously clean the nostrils with saline – for the fluidity of mucus – and in order to facilitate its expulsion through suction with the Nasalou® nasal aspirator.
• Remember to use saline drops and perform suctioning before feeding. The combination of saline and suctioning may cause vomiting. By cleaning the baby's nostrils before feeding, he or she will be able to eat more easily.
How to drop saline solution into the baby’s nostrils
• Lay your baby on his back.
• Put 3-4 saline drops into each nostril. The drops may make the baby sneeze.
• After dropping the saline solution, hold your baby with his head back for about a minute. This will give the saline time to thin the mucus.
• Do not use any other type of medicinal nasal drops unless prescribed by the doctor.
How to use the nasal aspirator Nasalou®
• Peel off the sterile tip sachet and adjust the tip into the nasal aspirator body.
• Gently place the soft tip into the baby’s nostril.
• Suck gently, slowly and steadily through the mouthpiece of the aspirator.
• Don’t worry – the special filter means you won’t ever get any ‘suck back’! The mucus is collected in the filter of the sterile tip.
• Suction the other nostril the same way.
• If the tip is filled before the completion of the suction of the two nostrils, use a new sterile tip.
• Gently wipe off the mucus around the baby's nose with tissues to prevent skin irritation.
• Remove the tip from the aspirator body and discard it. The tip should be discarded after each use to prevent possible infections.
• After each use rinse the device with hot water and dry it thoroughly.
• Do not sterilize, do not boil the device.
• Put the Nasalou® nasal aspirator in the handy storage kit ready for next time.
Care of atopic skin
Care of atopic skin
Consistent skin care is one of the most critical methods for prevention and management of eczema flare-ups. Caring for your skin will not only help prevent outbreaks of eczema, but it may also help prevent bacterial skin infections, common in people with eczema.
Tips for managing
• Avoid hot water when bathing; lukewarm water is best.
• Take brief baths or showers - no more than 10-15 minutes.
• Limit the use of soap. Make sure the cleanser is mild and fragrance-free.
• After bathing, gently pat your skin partially dry.
• Avoid perfumes and fragranced skin lotions.
• Keep your fingernails short and smooth. This decreases the likelihood that scratching will puncture and infect the skin.
• Keep temperature and humidity levels comfortable. Avoid situations in which the air is extremely dry, or where you may sweat and overheat. This is the most common trigger of the itch/scratch cycle.
• Wear soft, smooth materials next to your skin, preferably 100 % cotton. Avoid scratchy materials such as pure wool, polyester or acrylic.
• Apply emollient moisturizers every day to clean, damp skin. It is especially important to moisturize after showering and bathing. This prevents dryness and cracking. It can also decrease the need for eczema medications.
• Recognize and limit emotional stress. Maintaining emotional balance and avoiding stress are strongly recommended, as stress is a strong trigger for eczema outbreaks.
Women’s intimate hygiene
Intimate area is unique
Many women don’t consider intimate hygiene as different from the regular body hygiene and use ordinary soaps. However, proper intimate care requires different habits and it’s important because the intimate area is delicate and can be prone to infections.
The intimate area has an acidic pH - more acidic than the skin of the rest of the body -, which helps to keep friendly bacteria (lactobacilli) healthy and harmful bacteria under control.
The ordinary soaps are not suggested because they ‘wash away’ the natural acidic layer of the intimate area, which serves as a protection from harmful bacteria.
This upsets the intimate pH balance, increases the growth of harmful bacteria, leading to problems like irritation, itching, odor or even infection.
That is why it is important to use the right intimate wash product specially formulated for ladies.
Mechanism of vaginal defense
• The female hormone estrogen initiates the release of glycogen from the vaginal cells.
• The main kind of beneficial bacteria found in the healthy vagina is lactobacillus, which plays a key defensive role.
• Lactobacillus species feed on glycogen secreted by vaginal cells and, in exchange, produce lactic acid.
• Lactic acid produced by Lactobacillus species lowers and maintains the vaginal pH in the range of 3.8 - 4.5, which is moderately acidic.
• While acid in the vagina may sound alarming, it actually helps keep the vagina healthy: The acidic environment protects the vagina against over- growth of pathogens!
• Lactic acid also kills harmful bacteria and viruses that can lead to infections.
• In addition, this acidic environment promotes the growth of more Lactobacillus strains allowing the cycle that creates this protective environment to continue.
• Consequently, colonization by Lactobacillus species correlates to the low optimal pH in the vagina.
• Lactobacillus species also adhere to vaginal cells and mucus to make a barrier that reduces pathogens’ adherence, persistence and multiplication in the vagina.
Mechanism of vaginal defense
• The female hormone estrogen initiates the release of glycogen from the vaginal cells.
• The main kind of beneficial bacteria found in the healthy vagina is lactobacillus, which plays a key defensive role.
• Lactobacillus species feed on glycogen secreted by vaginal cells and, in exchange, produce lactic acid.
• Lactic acid produced by Lactobacillus species lowers and maintains the vaginal pH in the range of 3.8 - 4.5, which is moderately acidic.
• While acid in the vagina may sound alarming, it actually helps keep the vagina healthy: The acidic environment protects the vagina against over- growth of pathogens!
• Lactic acid also kills harmful bacteria and viruses that can lead to infections.
• In addition, this acidic environment promotes the growth of more Lactobacillus strains allowing the cycle that creates this protective environment to continue.
• Consequently, colonization by Lactobacillus species correlates to the low optimal pH in the vagina.
• Lactobacillus species also adhere to vaginal cells and mucus to make a barrier that reduces pathogens’ adherence, persistence and multiplication in the vagina.